“Whatever,” he says, ruffling my hair as his excitement gets the best of him. “I’m the fucking man and you know it.”
I roll my eyes. There’s nothing I could possibly say to help bring him down a notch. I just hope that by the time his date comes around, he’ll be able to act like the perfect gentleman.
Dad starts singing ‘T.N.T’ by ‘ACDC’ and all I can do is listen along as he puts Ari into her carseat and gets himself ready to head home. “Are you coming?” he questions as I step back from his pick up.
I shake my head. “Nah. I think I might walk.”
“Huh? You sure? Why the hell would you want to do something crazy like that?”
I indicate across the road to the clothing store. “Just want to clear my head a bit,” I tell him. “I should probably stop by the fire station and let Noah know what’s going on too.”
“Ok,” dad says in understanding. “Just don’t be a pain at the fire station. That boy’s working not volunteering anymore.”
I roll my eyes and step back again, leaving enough room for dad to back out of his parking space. Within the blink of an eye, his car is disappearing out of the lot and I’m left standing here, staring across at the clothing store, wondering for the millionth time how I could have possibly missed this.
I start walking and as I do, I notice cops walking in and out of the store, taking boxes upon boxes of evidence and putting them in the backs of their cars, filling them up with everything that could possibly be inside that place.
I can’t help but think that inside every one of those boxes is a mystery to unfold about my father. I have no intention of getting to know the guy but within those boxes are his secrets and the answers I’ve been looking for. Hell, they’re the answers the whole town has been searching for.
I don’t doubt there’s evidence of the drug deals he’s made, money laundering schemes, people who have wronged him and what kind of ‘payback’ they received. Hell, I wouldn’t even be surprised if there’s evidence on how he found Ari stashed in there somewhere.
He’s too smart to keep that shit at his home and this place is the perfect cover up. No wonder it’s taken so long for the cops to bust him. But what it really comes down to is that he was a bad man through and through. He may have claimed to love his son and be protective of his daughter, but as far as I’m concerned, he was doing it for the wrong reasons. Everything he has ever done has been to benefit his own selfish needs and it’s that very thought that helps me not to feel bad about letting this happen after he went to the effort to save Ari. He may have done that one good deed, but that will never make up for the crimes and horrendous acts that are all there within those boxes.
Anton Mathers deserves to rot in jail and I hope to God that’s what’s going to happen.
It takes me all of ten minutes to get to the fire station and when I do, the first person I see is Noah working away and doing who the hell knows what at the side of the big, red truck. As if sensing me here, he breaks away from his duties and hurries over to me, instantly throwing his big, warm arms around me. “Are you ok?” he murmurs, pressing his lips to my forehead.
“Anton was arrested,” I tell him, not sure how to answer his question.
“I know, Spitfire. It’s been all over the radios. They wanted us for back up in case anything went down.”
I nod my head. “I was in the grocery store’s parking lot when it happened. I watched the whole thing.”
“Shit. I was hoping you didn’t see that.”
“It’s ok,” I tell him. “I think watching him go down helps. It makes it more…final.”
“It’s not final yet,” he reminds me. “Anton still needs to be sentenced and you know how long that can take, especially when he most likely had half of the justice system owing him favors.”
“I know, but for now, I won’t need to go and live in that house and I can live my life hoping for the best.”
Noah kisses me again before pulling me back by my shoulders and looking down at me. “Fuck yeah, we can, Spitfire. From now on, we work on building a future for ourselves. No more looking back. It’s just you and me.”
“And Tully…and maybe Spencer and Aiden too. Possibly Barker if Tully has her way.”
Noah shakes his head. “For fuck’s sake, Henley,” he laughs. “You sure know how to ruin the mood. I was trying to be romantic and sweet.”
“Romantic and sweet isn’t your style,” I tell him, grinning at his attempt, but loving it either way. “I prefer it when you’re domineering and in alpha mode.”
“Really, now?” he questions with that sparkle in his eye that I love so much. “In that case, the second I get home tonight, I’m taking you out and I’ll be showing you just how domineering and alpha I can get.”
I bite down on my lip, the anticipation almost too much to bear. “You’ve got yourself a deal,” I tell him, pushing up onto my tippy-toes so he can press those lips of his against mine once again.
Noah digs into his pocket before pulling out his keys. “Here, let me drive you home, Spitfire.”
I shake my head and push his hand back into his chest. “No, don’t worry about me. I quite enjoyed the walk and besides, I like the way you always seem to stare at my ass each time I walk away.”
“I fucking like it too,” he murmurs. “You sure though? It will only take a minute to get you home.”
“No, I’m sure. I don’t want you getting in trouble, and besides, you never know when they might need you. Just know that the second you’re done, I’ll be waiting for you, more ready than I’ve ever been before.”
With that, I turn and walk away, only looking back when I get to the street to find Noah’s eyes firmly on my ass, enjoying the view as I sway my hips from side to side. I can’t help but grin as he winks my way and mouths, ‘love you.’
“Love you too,” I tell him seconds before disappearing behind a row of bushes and walking the few minutes back home.
Chapter 16
After spending the night racing at the track, Maxen was more than happy to let us stay behind and party into the early hours of the morning. It was incredible. He kept all the lights on for us and it was just our small group left behind to have the time of our lives.
Tully and I sped our cars around that track over and over again, each one of us desperate to beat the record that Noah had set earlier in the night. Aiden attempted but was too chicken to really give it a good go, and Spencer knew he wasn’t going to beat it so didn’t even try which only had me and Tully calling him all sorts of names under the sun. But me and Tully, we had no issues making fools of ourselves.
Noah quickly put us all to shame though, unable to resist taking advantage of the empty track.
It was one of the best summer nights of my life. I had my best friends with me and my boyfriend at my side.
It didn’t take long for the cars to be put away and we were all sitting out in the middle of the track, taking it all in. I guess when you have friends like mine, you don’t need a massive party to have a good time.
Which brings us to now, all five of our cars are lined up on the grass of Noah and Tully’s front lawn and I stare at them with dread. My yellow Supra is a brown mess of mud, there’s hardly any white visible on Noah’s Camaro, Tully’s Jeep…well, that’s always a mess, and Spencer’s car somehow missed the mud, but is still covered from top to bottom in a thick layer of brown dust. Aiden didn’t drive fast enough to mess up his car but that didn’t stop him from adding his car to the line.
Noah and I head into the garage to get everything we need while the boys get started hosing down mine and Noah’s cars, opting to do two at a time. All I know is that by the time I come out of the garage with my arms filled with buckets and sponges, Tully is nowhere to be seen.
“That rat bastard,” I grumble. “She better not be trying to get out of this because I swear, I’m not cleaning her hunk of shit if she’s not here to help me with mine.”
“Relax,” Spencer laughs, bri
efly aiming the hose at me and making me squeal and drop everything. “She went to go get everyone a drink.”
I pick up the bucket and start pouring in the car wash. “I guess I can deal with that.”
Noah and the boys ignore me as best they can and get started while I screw around apparently doing it all wrong. I mean, it’s washing a car. I don’t know how I could possibly be doing it wrong.
All I know is that one minute I was holding the hose up in the air, distracted by the way the sun hit the falling water and made a rainbow and the next, I was moved away and told to sit my ass down while the boys took care of business just as boys should do.
So here I am, sitting on the porch shaking my head at the idiots who think they have it all sorted out.
Spencer’s phone rings and before I know it, he’s walking across the street, getting just as distracted as I had. I let out a frustrated huff. If Spencer is getting distracted, shouldn’t he be side-barred as well? I mean, especially now that he’s over there pissing off the neighbors chihuahua. Stupid boys.
I guess it doesn’t matter too much because now I get to sit back and watch as Noah gets all wet washing the car while Aiden too, gets distracted. I guess none of us are capable of maintaining concentration, except for Noah of course.
Tully comes out of the house a moment later with as many cans of soda as she can fit in her arms. She places them all down on the little porch table before scrunching up her face at the sound of the yapping dog next door. “Who the hell set off Toto?”
“Spencer,” I laugh. “He got a call and went walking over there.”
Tully looks out at the yard and cranes her neck to see if she can find Spencer and upon realizing that he’s nowhere to be seen, a devilish grin takes over her face.
Oh no. I know that look all too well.
Tully grabs the hem of her shirt and tears it up over her head, leaving her in nothing but her bright pink bikini. “Come on, bitch. You take the other side.”
“What?” I grumble, watching her in confusion as she darts down off the porch and runs towards Spencer’s dusty car. Her laughing steals Noah’s and Aiden’s attention and before they can stop her, she drapes herself over the hood, placing her tits right in the middle.
She peels herself off and all that’s left is the perfect outline of her hot little body, her tits being the masterpiece.
A roaring laugh is torn free of my body and I can’t help but tear off my shirt and join her. “Seriously?” Noah grumbles. “Spencer doesn’t need your tits all over his car too.”
“Tough shit,” Tully laughs.
“Leave some room for me,” Aiden booms as I lay myself over the hood, making sure not to disturb Tully’s artwork in the process. “I’m more than happy to leave an imprint of something on there too.”
Noah just shakes his head and gets back to washing his pride and joy as I peel myself off Spencer’s car. It’s harder than it looks as I don’t want to ruin it by putting my hands down to help me up, but I somehow manage and come to stand beside Tully at the front of the car.
“Your tits look bigger than mine,” I grumble, looking down at the hood, comparing the two bodies.
“I know, I made sure to really smoosh them in there,” she laughs, looking down at herself and pointing out just how much dust is covering her bikini top.
Like a flash of lightning, the hose is put on full blast and is turned on us, making Tully and I scream out, though luckily for Noah, he doesn’t destroy our masterpieces.
The water is freezing at first, but in this warm weather, it’s not long before I’m welcoming the cold water. As if sensing that we’re actually enjoying it, the water is then moved up from washing away the dust off our bodies to getting us each square in the face.
Serves us right, I guess.
Needing payback, I force myself through the heavy stream of water slapping against my chest and throw myself at Noah, trying my hardest to take him down, but he’s just too big, too strong. That is until Tully gets in on the action and we take him down like a little bitch.
I plant my lips on his and not two seconds later, Tully is pulled off him and thrown over Spencer’s shoulder. She screams out but Spencer seems to be in too good of a mood to bother putting her down.
“Guess what?” he says finally putting her down on the hood of her Jeep and placing himself between her legs, his hands falling to her thighs. He doesn’t have the patience to wait for her reply. “That was the coach at BHU. They had a last minute pull out and they’re offering me the spot.”
Tully’s eyes bug out of her head. “What? Are you serious?”
“Yeah. How fucking cool is that? BHU has an awesome team. I mean, kind of sucks knowing I was their last resort but still fucking awesome.”
“But…I thought you already accepted upstate?”
“I did but if it’s a choice between there and here, well, I’m going to stay here. I don’t think mom was coping with the idea of me living away.”
“So, you’re staying? You’re actually going to stay?”
Spencer grins wide as Noah, Aiden, and I begin crowding around, ready to congratulate him. “Damn right, I’m staying,” he tells her proudly.
Before anyone can even utter another word, Tully throws herself forward, crushing her lips to his, making us all pause and gape in shock. She kisses him as though she couldn’t possibly live without him and within the blink of an eye, she’s pulling back and sucking in a shocked breath.
Tully gapes at Spencer as though she has no idea what the hell just happened and to be honest, I think we all are. Noah confirms that thought in his very next breath. “Ummm…what the fuck was that?”
Tully shakes her head as Spencer stares at her, looking pretty damn pleased while also a little stunned. I mean, I know he wants it but we were all pretty damn sure she wasn’t ready for anything like that, especially so soon after Rivers. I was thinking in another year or so she’d possibly start to think of other things but certainly not yet.
Tully pulls back a little more and pushes Spencer’s hands off her thighs. “I’m sorry,” she whispers, shaking her head as she slips down off her Jeep and steps around him. Her eyes grow watery and Spencer attempts to reach out for her, but she moves out of reach, absolutely shattering him. “I just…I can’t. I’m sorry.”
With that, Tully darts off towards the house, hurrying inside, not even stopping when Violet calls out, cursing at her for tracking mud all through the house.
Noah goes after her but I catch his arm and pull him back. “Trust me, she’s not going to want to talk about this with you.”
“But…I’m her brother.”
I resist rolling my eyes. “Exactly.”
I move around him, leaving the three boys staring after me in confusion. Noah wondering why his twin sister wouldn’t want to talk about boys with him, Spencer wondering if he did something wrong or moved too fast and ruined what little chance he had, and Aiden probably wondering what white lie he’s going to tell so he can slip away and screw Barker down at the beach this afternoon.
Sometimes boys simply can’t understand us girls, but then there are times when I couldn’t even begin to make sense of the things those morons say.
I follow the muddy footprints down to Tully’s room being careful not to make any of my own. I push my way through her bedroom door and she’s two seconds from throwing something at me when she pulls back. “Oh, it’s just you.”
“Who did you think it was?” I ask, closing her door behind me and propping myself on the edge of her desk, not wanting to get her bed all wet, though it seems she doesn’t have the same issue.
“Noah…maybe Aiden.”
“And they’re not allowed to be here right now?”
Tully looks at me as though I’ve lost my mind and I agree, I must have. That was a stupid question. “So…” I say slowly. “Are you going to explain what the hell just happened out there because I’m a little confused.”
“You and me both,” she grumbl
es. “I’ve got no fucking clue. One minute the word ‘congratulations’ was going to come out of my mouth and the next thing I know, I was kissing him. I didn’t even know it was happening until it was too late.”
“Well, shit, huh?”
“Exactly.”
“And that’s when you decided to run away.”
Tully scoffs. “I didn’t run away.”
“Could have fooled me.”
Tully glares up at me from under her lashes with a less than impressed look on her face. “Really? You’re not just going to let me forget about this?”
“No way in hell. I’m going to dissect every second of it until I know exactly what happened,” I say, glancing out the window to see the boys and watch Noah walking back and forth in front of his car while speaking on his phone. As if sensing me, he glances up and gives me a small smile before getting back to concentrating on the call. “Besides, do you really think they are going to let you forget about it?”
“If they know what’s good for them, they will.”
I let out a sigh and move across her room until I’m sitting on her bed, deciding not to give a shit about getting the sheets wet. I mean, she’s already sitting on them so I guess it makes no difference if I am too. She’s going to have to change them anyway.
I look at her and wait until I have her undivided attention. “You have feelings for Spencer, don’t you?”
Tully sighs and I see the indecision on her face. “I…I don’t know. I’m confused.”
“What do you mean confused? About what specifically?”
“About everything. About Rivers.”
“You know it’s ok to have feelings for more than one guy at a time, right? Besides, Rivers told you he wanted you to move on.”
“I know but…” she lets out another sigh. “How could I even begin to have feelings for someone else when Rivers has always been it for me? I’m so freaking in love with him that it doesn’t make sense that I’m liking Spencer.”
Unbreakable: Haven Falls (Book 6) Page 15
